Honestly if this horse is right, how can Big Brown not be going to N.Y without TC aspirations. There is a big drop off to the second best 3 yr old at this moment with only a handful of possible new shooters on the horizon. There would have to be something awfully wrong with him to lose at Pimlico in a few weeks, it's not like he had a perfect trip today either.

And for those who can't root for the connections...



how could you not root for Desormeaux and his family after that tearjerker of a piece on NBC? :rolleyes:

I think back on Smarty Jones thinking it was the slop, on Street Sense's red sea divide on the rail. The easy ones like Giacomo. Im always thinking that was lucky. There was no real luck in this one Z. They just kept the horse away from all the others. It was way too easy.

I sensed mostly skeptics after Derby wins. Not with Spectacular Bid. But certainly with most of the winners. If this horse stays sound. Way too easy, too much upside.

I think the performances of similarly inexperienced colts like Red Bullet and Bernardini are incentive enough to go for gusto.

And many a Derby also-ran came back to form at Pimlico. Pine Bluff, Hansel, Point Given, Snow Chief, Gate Dancer, Tank's Prospect, etc. etc. I would think Colonel John, who according to the chart made a middle move, and maybe Pyro, who had trouble early, would fit the bill this year.

go listen this, a exactly go start listening 3:30 to 3:45
Do you hear what I hear....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nssrqK-0VUg

I think to be accurate Big Brown is perhaps a pretty good 3 year old in a mediocre crop of 3 year olds. There is no way anyone with a sane mind would be proclaiming a Triple crown had he been born one year earlier, at times fate smiles on you and it has with this horse thus far.

I don't disagree, I just think a logical step would be the Peter Pan or The Barbaro with more of a preference to the latter. If all goes well he can point for a Belmont - Plate double. There are plenty of big races later in the Summer. No need to push a good horse too fast, well that is my opinion which probably doesn't mean a hill of beans to Frank. Afterall this horse just broke his Mdn in Feb.

The feet are a definite problem as already stated.
These will be the most closely watched hooves...

It is just hard to believe that after all these years following the Triple Crown from Louisville to Old Hilltop to Elmont that this is the horse that seems most likely to win all three. I just threw up a little bit in my mouth.

He will be like the others,and get beat in the Belmont.Somebody rested for 5 weeks will roll by.There is a good reason the others couldn't finish it off.Most of them looked pretty damn good,too.

i'll believe it when i see it, and not a moment before. been there, done that, too many times. too many ways that it hasn't happened, when everything seemed lined up to make it happen.
just ask big browns jock about it...he knows all about losing the tc by a whisker.

exactly. there're many reasons why there are only 11 who have done it, and dozens who came close....

you're not alone.

something sick and twisted with the racing gods, if a horse like bid couldn't do it, but our newest derby winner can...

it's hard to believe that the rest of the colts are this bad! DoC finished 11 lengths back? the second and third best 3 y/o's are fillies and one of them left us today. sad

I know it wouldn't happen but I'd love for Big Brown to skip the Preakness. Listening to the post-race interviews, Dutrow really seemed skeptical about his chances. Imagine that. Before the Derby, he was overflowing with confidence. After that route, he seems skeptical. Well, not skeptical but less confident. He was saying how he wouldn't even be able to train him and may not even breeze him between now and then. He was saying how normally he likes to prepare for a race but now he can't. I'd love to see a trainer win the Derby and say "running back on two-weeks is not in the best interests of my horse" and skip the race. I can't help but think back to the Barbaro situation. Were his long breaks by design or out of necessity? Did the way he came out of races tell Matz that Barbaro needed more time to recover than a few weeks? Obviously, we know about BB's foot history. Is it totally behind him? Did Dutrow chose the Florida Derby and the longer break between then and the Kentucky Derby because he felt that chosing a later race wouldn't allow him the recovery time that he NEEDS? I'm not saying I predict a breakdown in the Preakness but with horses like this, it's always a little bit of a bigger concern for me. When Dutrow made his comments, it reminded me of why I liked Smarty Jones so much. I remember Frankel was talking about him and saying how he had the advantage of training Ghostzapper how he wanted to because he set the schedule while Smarty had his set for him.

You don't have to be better than him to beat him in the Belmont.Most of the others got beat by mediocre horses in the Belmont.It's not about how good they are.

With the fragile feet it is a long time to stay sound.
Throw in some mud at Pimlico.

I just cant think of a Kentucky Derby when a horse
ran so much further and made it look so easy. At little
bit of dirt, something. Kent D's goggles are spotless.

There was seemingly very little effort expended.
At least after the Florida Derby the horse looked tired.

This might have been a good time to admit you were wrong about Denis of Cork. You knew, or should have known, that it wasn't exactly a stellar group going into the race.

Uh no. The horse still was dusted and more than likely didn't run above a 96 beyer.

Just because this crop is horrendous doesn't mean I have to give this plug a pass.

Andy how did you do today with your bets for the derby I hadn't heard or read your thoughts pre race. Did you have this one figured out better than my own pitiful plays today leaving out the filly is just good enough for me to have nightmares for the month of May.